Chapter 10 ten missing children

The east foothills of the high and low rocks of the Andes Mountains are all long slopes, stretching out to the plain, gradually disappearing, and a new mountain that flies in suddenly stops on this plain.This new area is covered with deep pastures, lush trees stand tall, and there are countless apple trees. This large apple grove is shining with golden fruits.It seems that a piece of the rich Normandy province of France has been cut off and thrown in this plateau region.Passengers suddenly turn from desert to oasis, from snowy peaks to grasslands, from cold winter to scorching summer. If they are in an ordinary environment, they will be infinitely surprised by this sudden change.

At this time, the earth was silent.The earthquake has subsided.The force of the subterranean shock must have moved further away to destroy it.For in the Andes there is always somewhere that shakes or trembles.This time, the earthquake experienced by the passengers was indeed too violent.The whole mountain has changed.Take a look.All are brand-new peaks and ridges appearing under the blue sky.It is absolutely impossible for the guides on the steppe to find the signs of the old road. A clear day begins, the sun rises over the Atlantic, its rays slipping over the Argentine grasslands and out into the waves of the Pacific yonder.It was eight o'clock in the morning.

Glenarvan and his traveling companions gradually regained consciousness under the first aid of the major.Fortunately, they just fainted from the shock, without other injuries.The huge high and low rocks finally climbed over, and climbed to the foot of the mountain.Had it not been for the loss of one person and the loss of the young traveling companion Robert, everyone would have applauded this way of riding the force of nature and going down the mountain without moving their feet. This brave boy Robert was loved by all, especially Paganel, whom the major loved despite his withdrawn nature, and Glenarvan who loved him as much as his life.Glenarvan was terrified when he heard of Robert's disappearance, and he imagined that the poor child must have fallen into a deep pit, calling at the top of his lungs for his second loving father.

Friends, my friends.Greenarvan said almost in tears, we must find him, we must find him!We can't just throw him away like this!All valleys, all cliffs, all pits, we must find the bottom!You tie me to a long rope and pull me down with the rope, I must do this, do you understand?I must do this!God bless Robert is still alive!Losing him, do we still have the face to see his father?To save Captain Grant's son, what was that? ! The traveling companions listened to his words, but did not answer.They felt that Glenarvan was looking at them, trying to find hope in their eyes, and they lowered their eyes.

What's the matter? !Glenarvan said again, did you hear me?Why don't you speak?Do you all think there is no hope?Is it hopeless? There was another silence, and then it was the major who spoke first.he asks: Friends, does any of you remember when Robert disappeared? No one answered this question. At least, said the major, you could always tell me who was the kid with when the rocks fell down? by my side.Wilson replied. So, well, until when do you feel he's by your side?Think about it.Say it! All I remember is this: We followed the landslide, didn't we hit at the end?Less than two minutes before the impact, RobertGrant was still by my side, still clutching the moss in both hands.

Less than two minutes!Watch out, Wilson!At that time every minute felt very long!Do you remember correctly? I think I remember correctly, yes, less than two minutes! good!Was Robert on your left or your right then, said the major? on my left.I remember his hood still patting my face. What about yourself?you in our Also on the left. Then, Robert must have disappeared here, said the major, pointing to the right with his face turned towards the mountain, and I can still conclude that, considering the time of his disappearance, the boy must have fallen within three kilometers of the ground. This part of the mountain.If we want to find it, we should look for it in this part. Each person finds an area, and we will find him in this part of the mountain.

No one added a word.Immediately, the six people climbed up the slopes of the high and low rocks, stood at different heights, and began to search.They always searched on the right side of the route of the collapse, even the smallest rock cracks were searched. The deep pits under the hanging rocks had been partially filled by the fallen rubble. They went straight to the bottom of the pits to search, not only One person ran down at the risk of his life, tore his clothes, punctured his hands and feet, and crawled out bloody.The whole area of ​​the Andes, except for a few flat tops that were impossible to climb, was searched carefully and for a long time, and no one wanted to rest in the middle.But all efforts are in vain.Not only did the child die in the mountain, but he must have been crushed by a big rock and buried in the mountain forever.

In the early afternoon, Glenarvan and his traveling companions, exhausted, returned to their original valley.Glenarvan was so sad that he didn't say anything else, just sighed: I'm not going!don't go! Everyone understood that his nerves were stimulated, which was why he had such a stubborn idea.Everyone understands him and accommodates him. Let's wait.Paganel said to the major and Austin, let's rest and recover.Whether it is to search or continue to walk, it is necessary to rest. Yes, since Edward wants to do this, let's stay here!He still had hope.But what was there to hope for? !

God knows!Austin said. Poor Robert!Paganel responded, wiping away tears. There are many trees in the valley.The major chose a clump of tall trees and pitched a makeshift tent under it.All that remained of them were a few drapes, all their weapons, a little dried meat, and cold rice.Not far away is a small river with water available, but the river water was affected by the landslide and is still very turbid.Murady lit a fire on the grass, and presently gave his master a cup of hot water to drink to refresh himself, but Glenarvan would not drink it, and lay down on the awning in great despondency.

And so the day passed.The night was just like last night, calm and peaceful.While the traveling companions lay resting, Glenarvan climbed up the rocky slopes again.He listened, hoping to hear a call.He leaned forward alone, walking very far and high, always putting his ear to the ground, listening, listening, holding back the beating of his heart, and calling out in a disappointed voice. The poor sir wandered all night in the hills.Sometimes Paganel and sometimes the major followed him, as he searched desperately to prevent him from falling off the slippery rock or the edge of the cliff.But still no results.A thousand voices Robert!Robert!Only a few echoes repeating the dear name.

It was dawn again, and people had to run to the distant mountains to find Glenarvan, and dragged him back to the tent involuntarily.His disappointment was terrible.Who dares to say a word to him?Who dared to propose to him to leave this valley of sorrow?However, dry food is over.The Argentine guide and the horses necessary for crossing the grassland mentioned by the mule driver in the past should be met not far ahead.Can I go back now?Going back is more difficult than going forward.Besides, we made an appointment with the Duncan to gather on the Atlantic coast.No further delay is allowed for any reason, and for the benefit of all, the departure time cannot be delayed any longer. The major wanted to get Sir out of his grief.He persuaded him for a long time, but Glenarvan didn't seem to hear, just shook his head.But sometimes he also squeezed out a few words: go?He said. yes, go. Wait another hour! OK, wait another hour.The Honorable Major replied. An hour passed, and Sir begged for another hour.He looked like a condemned prisoner begging for another hour of his life.In this way, hour after hour, it was about noon.At this point the major, on the advice of all, without further hesitation, simply told Glenarvan that he must go, and that the lives of all his companions depended on his prompt decision. yes!yes!Glenarvan replied, let's go!let's go! However, as he spoke, he turned his eyes away from the major.His eyes fixed on a black spot in the sky.Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed, motionless, as if he had suffered a stroke. there!There, look!look!He said. Everyone looked up to the sky and followed his firm direction.At this time, the black spot seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.It turned out to be a bird flying very high in the sky. A vulture.Paganel said. Yes, a vulture, who knew?it's coming!it's down!wait a minute!Glenarvan replied. What did Glenarvan hope for?Is it insanity?He once said: Who knows?Paganel saw well, and the vulture saw more and more clearly.This kind of big bird was once regarded as a god by the local chiefs in the past.They grow unusually large in this area.Their strength is astonishing, and they can catch cattle and throw them into deep ravines.They often attack sheep, horses, and calves on the plains, and grab them to high altitudes with their claws.Flying and hovering at an altitude of 20,000 feet is nothing to them, and this altitude is already an insurmountable limit for human beings.So this king of the air, at such a height that man's best eyes cannot see him, yet he looks down on the ground with piercing eyes, distinguishes the most minute objects, and the sharpness of his vision makes all living things. Scholars are amazed. What did the vulture see?Did you see a dead body?Did he just see Robert's dead body?Who knows?Glenarvan kept saying this, never taking his eyes off the vulture.The huge bird was getting closer and closer, sometimes hovering, sometimes falling rapidly like an object thrown in the air, and after a while, it circled several large circles at a height of less than 200 meters from the ground.People couldn't see it more clearly.It flew across five.More than four meters.The vigorous wings float in the air and hardly move, because the characteristic of a big bird is to fly with a majestic and leisurely look, while a small bird must flap its wings countless times per second to stay in the air. Both the major and Wilson had seized their carbines.Greenarvan stopped them with a gesture.Not a quarter of a mile from them, the vulture circled an unclimbable flat ridge on the mountainside, dizzyingly fast, its iron talons opening and closing, its limp crown The child swings. right there!there!Glenarvan cried. Then, he suddenly had a thought, screamed again, and said: If Robert is still alive!This vulture will shoot!friends!shot! It was too late, and soon, the vulture had circled behind a row of towering peaks.After a second that seemed a hundred years old, the vulture came again, with a heavy load, rising slowly.There was a horrified cry. Under the vulture's claws was a dead body, hanging and swinging. It was Robert.Grant!The vulture grabbed his clothes and flew to the sky less than forty-five meters high from the tent. It also saw the travelers, and it flapped its wings violently, beating the wind, trying to take it with it. The heavy prey sped away. ah!Cried Glenarvan, it would be better for Robert's body to be broken on the rock than for the vulture Before he finished speaking, he grabbed Wilson's gun and tried to aim at the vulture.But his arms were trembling, his grip on the gun was unsteady, and his eyes were blurry. let me!said the major. Immediately, he aimed at the vulture with steady eyes and hands, and the vulture was already a hundred and fifty meters away from him. But before his hand pulled the trigger, there was a loud gunshot in the valley.A white smoke came out from between the two snowflake rocks. The vulture, shot in the head, spun and fell slowly, spreading its big wings like a parachute.It did not set down its prey, but when it fell it floated down about ten paces from the bank. It's over here!It's over here!Greenervan said. Without asking where the shot came from, he ran to the vulture, and his companions followed him. When they got there, the vulture was dead.Robert's body is concealed by its wide wings.Glenarvan threw himself on the dead body of the child, dragged him out of the clutches, and lay on the grass, listening with his ear to his chest. There had never been a louder and astonishingly louder cry of joy from his mouth: still alive!He is still alive! In a few moments Robert was stripped of his clothes, and cold water was poured over his face.He moved, opened his eyes, looked, spoke, and he just said: Ah!It is you, sir, my father! Glenarvan could not answer, choking him with emotion.He knelt down and cried beside the child. It was a miracle that the child was saved!